12 Steps to Start Film Production Business in Nigeria

Film production business is a lucrative business in Nigeria. The business has actually turned into a mega business, and given the rate of the business growth in the country, it is considered a multi-billion dollar industry.

Over the years, Nollywood has turned into a lucrative business for actresses and actors as well as, film producers.

The Nigerian movie industry is booming and redefining African life. This development had brought about a global impact because a lot of Nigerian films are being released in weeks or sometimes in days.

However, in this article, I will be explaining the steps on how to start film production and movie directing business in Nigeria.

How To Start Film Production Business:

There are some steps to take, should you want to start a film production business is in Nigeria, and in this article, I will be explaining these steps. Below are some of these steps:

1. Have A Good Groundwork:

Preproduction is usually the longest aspects when it comes to the film making process, and this aspect is also very important. When it comes to any large project, preparation is the major thing.

The expectations are that all naira spent during preproduction are likely to save a lot of times and some amount during filming. All the film productions start with a story idea, and that story idea may be fictitious or it may be based on real-life events.

Someone who writes the story will put it into script form. The script, or you called it, the screenplay, can be revised more often, as the case may be before you get to the final version, which is called, a shooting scripts.

This shooting script usually has to do with the dialogue of the film, and also, a description of the action expected to take place, and must be brief.

It as well makes provision for guidance especially for technical details, like camera direction, and for transitions between scenes.

Read Also: How To Produce A Movie In Nigeria

2. Attract Investors Using Big Names:

Supposed a producer thinks that perhaps, a screenplay may have potential, he or she may then want to purchase the screenplay and also make an attempt to sign on a renowned director and a reputable actor or a reliable actress.

To have a known renowned director and a topnotch star can create what is called, ‘box-office appeal’ once the film is released to the public.

3. Put Production Into Film:

Shooting movies can actually consume a lot of time, it can be tedious, and can also be expensive. That is why one single time wasted can really cost a huge some of naira.

Most of the times, actresses and actors, and crew members, as well as, facilities and equipment must have to be move from urban centers to a remote area of the country, irrespective of where ever shooting may take place, nevertheless, every day where filming takes place usually takes a sizable bite out of the budget.

The first to get on to the movie set, every day of filming are those in the lighting crew and the hairdressers, and the makeup artists among others.

Stars can be made to spend a good number of hours in order to get ready for the camera, and after which a long day of filming can begin.

The director will supervise the filming at every scene. In fact, a relatively small scene may actually take the whole day.

A good number of scenes in most movies are sometimes filmed with just a single camera, and going by that, the scene, therefore, is repeated again and again for each camera angle.

Moreso, every shot can be made to be repeated in order to get the best desired or sometimes performed to correct a technical problem.

Read Also: How to Start Film Production and Movie Directing Business in Nigeria

4. Post Production: Bring Everything Together:

When it comes to post-production, film footage will be edited in order to form a cohesive motion picture. Firstly, the audio track will be made to synchronize with the film.

Secondly, the editor will have to assemble the raw footage in a preliminary version of the film that is produced, which is called a rough cut. At this phase, the sound effects and also the visual effects are all added.

5. Product Of Film Production:

At this phase, the completed film will be released straight to the theaters. And at this phase, it can be determined whether the product will be blockbuster or it will be a bomb or even in between.

However,  so much will be at stake here than just naira and kobo.

Read Also: Film Production Companies in Nigeria

How To Start Movie Directing Business:

These are some of the ways to start a movie directing business in Nigeria

 6. Critically Watch Movie:

You might have watched several movies that are appealing to you, so continue watching those movies you are interested in if you want to become a movie director.

Again, you can begin to make use of your movie viewing experiences as part of the measures to start learning how the film is made and make sure you watch as many movies as possible and pay attention the details on the movies.

Count some of the mistakes you find in every movie you watch, I mean the acting errors, and the editing errors, and storyline continuity errors, among others.

Develop your own understanding of storytelling in the process of watching films. You can watch movies without the sound as you pay attention to how the story is unfolding via images, or you can also watch the movie by listening to the dialogue, and soundtrack, and every other sound in the move in order to see how the film goes, through what the characters are saying.

7. Write Short Movies:

Begin making short movies. Becoming a director implies that,  you should get started straight away by using any method you think is necessary for making your movies.

If you do not have a camera you can always borrow one. It is true that a quality camera can actually help in the production of a better and a quality movie nevertheless, you can always start with any camera that you lay your hand on.

You can either write your screenplay or you decide to work with a friend of yours, who can write a screenplay. If you can be making a short movie, that will help you in learning the necessary technical areas of directing a movie.

Read Also: How to Join Nigerian Movie Industry (NOLLYWOOD)

8. Act Movie:

You have to learn how to act a movie. One of the ways to actually learn the job of movie directing is to be an actor or an actress yourself, by acting, you will definitely gain experience through acting.

This can be done by either acting in your own movie or by joining a drama group to act drama. So if you will be learning about acting a movie and at the same time, participate in the acting of movie yourself, this will give you an ample opportunity to have a greater appreciation for those, who act and work with you, and it will also serve as an opportunity to interact and communicate with them,  and learn about various acting strategies and acting techniques, for example, the classical acting and the method acting.

9. Read People’s Scripts:

Reading other individuals scripts is very essential in learning how to direct a movie. Although it is essential for you to start writing your scripts, at the same time, you also need to be working with other scripts written by other people.

To read scripts written by others is a good way of learning how to direct a movie, and even at that point, it is an opportunity to practice how to bring someone else’s story to life.

Anytime you lay hand on others scripts, make sure you take thought about every detail of how you as a person can shoot every scene.

Supposed two persons are arguing in a scene, you have to think about how to position them, the camera angles to use, the kind of lighting to use, and the sounds on the background.

10. Go To Movie School:

Going to movie school is essential. Even though, this is not a necessary requirement, but movie school will help you in three areas; these are, forced experience, and access to crews, as well as,  networking.

Many are succeeded, who never went to movie school, equally, a good number of these individuals, who attended movie school have also succeeded in movie directing. You can even gain access to internship, as well as access to workshops among others.

11. Work In Production Crew:

Look for a production crew and work with them, and do not think that becoming a movie director will happen overnight.

Some people who became movie directors began by working as runners, some worked as camera operators, while others performed some essential roles as those who are part of a production crew.

Every job is essential. Whether you are filing paperwork, or you are making sure the actors have their bagels, or you are watching over the camera equipment at night, all these are important, and they are all steps in the becoming a movie director.

12. Network With Others:

It is also important that you start networking. Please note, you can never become a movie director without a reel.

See the full list of Film Production Companies in Nigeria

It is one of the most essential things for you to have. Nollywood is an industry where I think, there is much easier to show said reel, provided you have an in.

How do you have an in? You must start to network. The more you make a lot of people to know you, the better for you. Do not fail to attend industry events, for instance, mixers, and conventions, and parties, and premiers, among others

Conclusion:

Film production has turned into a lucrative business for actresses and actors as well as, film producers. This development had brought about a global impact because a lot of Nigerian films are being released in weeks or sometimes in days.

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